Shirt-folding mechanism



Nov. 17, 1959 o. H. PEARSON ETAL 2,913,156

SHIRT-FOLDING MECHANISM :s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 23, 1956 rro H. esa/v OJOH/V A. Mi

o. H. PEARSON ETAL 2,913,156

SHIRT-FOLDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 17, 1959 Filed Nov.

1 Vazvroas 0770 H. ,EARSON BY JOHN 1.. SIR/RE ATTORNEY 1959 o. H. PEARSON ETAL 2,913,156

SHIRT-FOLDING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov.

4 INVENTORS 0770 H. PEA/Q'fl/V mm W Jay. JTR/Kf BY #5 United States Patent SHIRT-FOLDING MECHANISM Otto H. Pearson and John L. Strike, Salt Lake City, Utah,

assignors to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 23, 1956, Serial No. 624,090

15 Claims. (Cl. 223-37) This invention relates to a mechanism for folding the sleeves and side portions of a shirt which, after the tail of the shirt has been folded over onto the resultant laterally folded part, are banded or otherwise enclosed so that the folds are retained.

Shirt-folding machines embody a table on which an ironed shirt may be laid flatwise with the sleeves hanging over the side edges of said table. It is an object of the present invention to provide novel and improved mechanism for carrying out the lateral folding above mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved operating means for the two sets of folding arms employed for producing two lateral folds in the shirt, whereby a single controller moves said arms to open and folded positions in proper sequence. Thus, the invention is. characterized by simplicity and ease of upkeep.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the character referred to that moves said arms when in shirt-foldedposition, to a raised position relative to the top of the machine table to enable more facile removal of a folded shirt. i

A still further object of the invention is to provid simple and improved mechanism for carrying both said two sets of folding armsand a shirt form over which said arms fold a shirt and for moving the same to raised position, as shown.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in thetcourse of the following description. show and the following description merely desc'ribesone embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters'designate similar parts in'the several views.

Fig. l is a plan view of the end of. a shirt-folding machine on the body and sleeves of an ironed shirt may be laid out, the same being provided with folding mechanism according to the present invention shown in folded position.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, the table being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the folding mechanism in open condition.

viewas seen from the right side of Fig. 1.

- Fig. 6 is a side view of the mechanism shown in Fig. after the. same has been moved to raised position with However, the drawings merely "ice rectangular and is of a size to support, in flatwise position, the body of an ordinary mans shirt or like gar-' ment. The portion of the table top that is shown supports the upper end of such a shirt.

Since the shirts handled by the machine are' in ironed condition and usually stiffened from the use of starch,

' the table is usually formed with a cavity 13 to accommotable is provided with side bars 17 that increase the effective width thereof and over which the sleeves of a shirt are draped while the shirt is otherwise in flatwise condition.

. According to the present invention, the table 10 carries and is provided with a shirt-folding mechanism that comprises, generally, a frame 20, means 21 tiltably mounting said frame on the end of the table, means 22 to effect such tilting movement and to return the frame to untilted position, a form 23 fixedly carried by 7 and movable with the frame 20 and over which a shirt is adapted to be folded, a set of arms 24 carried by said frame to fold a shirt over said form, means 25 controlling the movement of said set of arms to closed or folded position, spring means 26 for returning said set of arms to open position, and means 27 to operate the means '25. I

The frame 20 is shown as comprising a pair of mounting plates 28 retained in connected spaced relation by spacer members 29, and an extension plate 30 aflixed to one of the plates 28 and held rigid by a pair of brace straps 31 connected to the other plate 28. Said extension plate 30 is formed to have a platform 32 disposed in spaced relation to and beneath theplates 28. The frame 20 thus provided is disposed in spaced relation forward of the end 15 of table 10 with the top portion thereof approximately aligned with the table top 11.

The means 21 comprises a pair of hinges 33 that are each formed of a hinge pin 34, a bracket 35 affixed to the table and a bracket 36 affixed to the frame 20, said pins'34 connecting the respective brackets. The hinges 33 provide a line of pivot for the frame 20 that is below the top of the frame, thereby enabling said frame to tilt or pivot in a manner moving its upper part in a direction away from the table end 15. Such tilted position is illustrated in Fig. 6.

. the same between non-tilted position and tilted-position,

- Fig. 5 is a similarly enlarged and fragmentary side of Fig. 5.

. the tablerecess 13, as can beseenin Figs. ..1--and' 5i "-It' is shown as comprising a cylinder-piston unit 37 con- .nected at one end to a bracket 38 aflixed to the table 10,"

there being a pivot pin at the pivot 39, and connected at the other end to a bracket 40'by means of a pivot 41. Bracket 40 extends, in the manner of a fixed arm, from frame 20 and it will be clear that extension of the unit 37 by pneumatic or hydraulic force will cause the frame 20 to move in from the vertically disposed position of Fig. 5 to the tilted position of Fig. 6. Return to the vertical position may be effected through the medium of" a suitable spring which, in practice, may be embodied' withthe unit to bias the same to the contracted portion The form 23 is shown as relatively thin flat plate 43 that is adjustably carried by a bracket 44 that is mixed to the frame 20. With said frame in vertical position; as in Fig. 5, said form has a superimposed position over" 3 follows, therefore, that said form is raised to an angular elevated position with respect to the table top 11 when the frame 20 is tilted as described.

The set of arms 24 is arranged as two pairsa shorter pair 45 and a longer pair 46. The arms of pair 45 each comprise a lever 47 on a pivot 48 carried by frame 2i? and an extension rod 49 that extends in parallelism with form plate 43. The arms of pair 46 each comprise a lever 50 on a pivot 51 carried by frame 20 and an exten- SiOll rod 52 that also extends in parallelism with the form plate. The pivots 48 and 51 are shown as arranged in line (Figs. 3 and 4) with pivots '48 between pivots 51. While the arm rods 49 and 52 are shown as broken at their. ends, the same are normally approximately coextensive, longitudinally, with the form plate 43.

As can be seen from Figs. 1, and 6, the arm levers 47 are offset so as not to interfere with each other when overlapped in arm-closed position. Arm levers 50 may be coplanar, as shown, since the same do not achieve an overlapped position open or closed.

Since, when closed over a folded shirt, said arm rods 49 and 52 lie in substantially the same place above and in close contiguity to form plate 43, the same are preferably carried by their respective levers in a manner to be adjustable and the adjustments locked, as indicated at 53. By forming each said rod with an offset or cranklike end 54, the mentioned adjustments may be readily effected with assurance that no portions of the arms interfere during movement of the same between open and closed positions. While the arm levers 50 do not overlap, the folding ends 52 carried thereby do, as may best be seen in Fig. 1. Hence, the need for assuring non-interfering relationship of said rods 52 by means as above indicated.

The means 25 for controlling movement of the two pairs of arms 45 and 46 is carried by the frame 20 and is shown as comprising a pinion 55 on each pivot 48' and 51, a rack 56 engaged with each respective pinion 55, a follower 57 on the end of each said rack that is directed toward the middle of frame 20 between pivots 48, cam means 58 operatively engaged with said roller to project said racks 56 in a direction to partially rotate said pinions 55 so as to swing the two pairs of arms to closed position, the spring means 26 being effective upon retraction of the cam means to move the racks in a direction to cause opening of said pairs of arms.

The pivots 48 and 51 are shown as cross shafts spanning between the frame plates 28 and journalled to rotate in said plates or bearings provided therein. The pinions 55 are preferably formed integrally with said shafts. The racks 56 are held in mesh with their respective pinions as by rollers 59 and the latter may be carried by subframes 60 in which the respective racks are movable.

As can 'be seen, the racks that control arms 45 are aligned on opposite sides of the middle of the mechanism and the racks that control arms 46 are similarly aligned but offset from the racks that control arms 45. This may best be seen in Fig. 1.

The movement-controlling means 25 is here shown as including the cam means 58 disposed at the mentioned middle of the mechanism and comprising a cam 61 operatively engaged with the followers 57 of the racks that control arms 45, and a cam 62 operatively engaged with the followers of the racks that control arms 46. Said cams 61 and 62 are connected to form a single unit and the same is mounted in frame 20 to move transversely to the movement of the racks. A guide 63 is provided to maintain straight-line operative movement of the cam means 25.

It will be noted from Figs. 3 and 4 that each cam 61 and 62 is formed to have opposite rack follower-engaging sides and that said sides are unsymmetrical to cause a more rapid or earlier operative movement of the racks on one side than those on the other. Thus, while the pairs of arms open and close together, one arm of each pair is, slightly ahead of the other to obviate arm inter- 4 ference. It will be clear that cam face 64 of cam 61 will effect a more rapid or earlier movement of the arm 47 controlled thereby than will the opposite cam face 65. Similarly, face 66 of cam 62 will cause earlier movement of the arm 50 controlled thereby than will face 67.

Thus, the controlling means 25 comprises cam means 5'8 that has straight-line movement in one direction to cause straight-line movement of the racks in a transverse direction which, in turn, cause rotational movement of the shirt-folding arms.

The cam means 58 moves the pairs of racks 56 in opposite directions away from each other, as from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 3. The spring means 26 biases said racks to move in the opposite direction; that is, to return the arms to open position upon retraction of the cam means from between the racks. As shown, said spring means 26 comprises a spring 68 biasing one pair of aligned racks toward each other and in a direction to engage cam 61, and a spring 69 biasing the other pair of racks in a direction to engage cam 62.

The cams 61 and 62 control the folded position of the arms so their rods 49 and 52 are in proper relationship, as shown, above form plate 43. The open position of said arms is limited by stops 70 and 71 that respectively engage arm levers 47 and 50, as shown best in Fig. 4.

The operating means 27 for the movement-controlling means 25 may best be seen in Fig. 2, the same comprising a piston cylinder unit 72 that is mounted on platform 32 and is connected to the cam means 58. It will be clear that extension, by pressure fluid, of stem 73 of unit 72 72 is relieved. Said operating unit 72 may include a shock-absorber 75 which smoothens the operation.

Operation With the frame 20 in the tilted position of Fig. 6 and the folding arms open as shown, a shirt is placed on the table as hereinbefore described. After the shirt has been properly arranged with its collar clamped or held and its arms draped to fall over the side bars 17, the unit 37 is retracted to swing the frame to the position of Fig. 5 but with the folding arms open, as in Fig. 4.

Upon projection of stem 73 of unit 72, the cam means will move to first engage the racks that operate arms 46 and then engage the racks that operate arms 45. The design of the cams and their operative faces is such as to cause such sequence of operation. Thus, arms 46, will move to folded position first, folding the shirt sleeves across the shirt body, one slightly ahead of the other, as hereinbefore explained. Then arms 45 will move to folded position, one ahead of the other, folding the sides of the shirt over the middle part and around the form plate 43.

As the latter fold is completed, the operator completes the same fold in the shirt tail and folds the latter, over the end of the form, so that the shirt tail is superimposed over the shirt body. Now, the folded shirt may be handed.

- At this time, the frame 20 is returned to tilted position for the particular reason of freeing the collar thereof from the collar form in recess 13. With the folded arms thus raised above the tabletop, it is a simple operation to pull the folded shirt off the ends of the rods 49 and 52. Thereafter, whether automatically or under control, the arms may be moved to open position preparatory to another cycle of operation, the movement being in the reverse order to the folding movement.

Since the shirt is banded and because it is usual practice to provide a collar-shaping cardboard form and a bosom flattening cardboard member around which the shirt is folded, the same retains the folds above provided.

While the foregoing has'illustrated and described whatis now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shirt-folding table adapted to support a shirt in fiatwise condition with the sleeves of the shirt outstretched and draped over the sides of the table, mechanism to first fold said shirt sleeves over the shirt body and then fold the side portions of said shirt over the body, said mechanism comprising a tiltably movable frame disposed beyond the end of the table on which the collar end of the shirt is disposed, a form carried by said frame and around which a shirt is adapted to be folded as above set forth, a pair of sleeve-folding arms and a pair of shirt-folding arms carried by the frame, said form and arms being movable with the frame toward and away from the table upon movement of the frame between non-tilted and tilted positions, means to move the frame, and means carried by the frame to move the arms, extensions on the ends of said arms residing in planes at all times parallel to the plane of the form, and means to rotationally adjust the positions of the arm extensions relative to the respective arm ends to thereby adjust the positions of said extensions relative to the form and to each other when the form and arms are approaching and are disposed in shirt-folding position adjacent the table.

2. In a shirt-folding table according to claim 1, said sleeveand shirt-folding arms comprising a pair of smaller arms and a pair of larger arms, and the arms-moving means being provided with cam means to move the larger arms to folded position before the smaller arms are so moved.

3. In a shirt-folding table according to claim 1, said sleeveand shirt-folding arms comprising a pair of smaller arms and a pair of larger arms, and the arms-moving means being provided with cam means to move the larger arms to folded position before the smaller arms are so moved, said cam means comprising a pair of connected cams, the arms being pivotally mounted, and pinion and rack means being interposed between said cams and the arms pivots and operated by the cams to rotate the arms on their pivots.

4. In a shirt-folding table according to claim 1, the frame being provided with a tilting pivot intermediate its upper and lower ends, and the means to tilt the frame being connected thereto to tilt the upper end of the frame in a direction away from the table.

5. Shirt-folding mechanism having operative association with a table on which a shirt, in flatwise condition with its sleeves outstretched, is adapted to be placed, said mechanism comprising a frame, means tiltably mounting said frame in spaced relation to that end of the table adjacent which the collar of the shirt is adapted to be positioned, a shirt form fixedly carried by and movable with the tiltable frame between a position superimposed over the body of a shirt on the table and a position elevated with respect to said table, a pair of sleeve-folding arms and a pair of shirt-folding arms rotatably carried by said frame and bodily movable therewith, means to tilt the frame, means to rotatably move the arms between folded position in superposition over the shirt form and an open position clear of a shirt on the table, extensions on the ends of said arms residing in planes at all times parallel to the plane of the form, and means to rotationally adjust the positions of the arm extensions relative to the respective arms ends to thereby adjust the positions of extensions relative to the form and to each other when the form andarmsare approaching and are disposed in shirt-folding position adjacent the table.

6. Shirt-folding mechanism according to claim 5 in which the last-mentioned means comprises movable cam means, and a pinion and gear set operatively connecting each arm and the cam means.

7. Shirt-folding mechanism according to claim 5, said sleeveand shirt-folding arms comprising a pair of smaller arms and a pair of larger arms, and the arms-moving means being provided with cam means to move the larger arms to folded position before the smaller arms are so moved.

8. Shirt-folding mechanism according to claim 5, said sleeveand shirt-folding arms comprising a pair of smaller arms and a pair of larger arms, and the arms-moving means being provided with cam means to move the larger arms to folded position before the smaller arms are so moved, said cam means comprising a pair of connected cams, the arms being pivotally mounted, and pinion and rack means being interposed between said cams and the arm pivots and operated by the cams to rotate the arms on their pivots.

9. Shirt-folding mechanism according to claim 5, the frame being provided with a tilting pivot intermediate its upper and lower ends, and the means to tilt the frame being connected thereto to tilt the upper end of the frame in a direction away from the table.

10. In a shirt-folding mechanism, a table having a top and an end, a tiltable frame carried by the table beyond said end, a set of four shirt-folding arms carried by said frame, a shirt form carried by the frame, said arms, when in shirt-folding position, overstanding said form and both said form and arms being disposed above the table top, extensions on the ends of said arms residing in planes at all times parallel to the plane of the form, and means to rotationally adjust the positions of the arm extensions relative to the respective arm ends to thereby adjust the positions of said extensions relative to the form and to each other when the form and arms are approaching and are disposed in shirt-folding position adjacent the table, means carried by the tiltable frame to move the arms to spread position with two of the arms outward of the table and below the top thereof, and means to tilt the frame in a direction away from the table end to correspondingly tilt the shirt form from a position directly above the table top to an angled position above the table top and to correspondingly tilt the latter two arms to an angled position on opposite sides of the table and below the table top.

11. In a shirt-folding mechanism according to claim 10, the means to move the arms between shirt-folding and open positions comprising a cam unit movable in one direction, rack means movable by the cam unit in a transverse direction, and pinions rotated by the rack means, pivots being provided for the arms and said pivots being disposed on the axes of the pinions.

12. In a shirt-folding mechanism, a frame, a form carried by the frame and about which a shirt having sleeves is adapted to be folded, a set of shirt-folding arms, each said arm being carried by said frame and mounted on an axis on which the same are movable between open spread positions and shirt-folding positions over the form, said arm axes being parallel to each other and to the plane of the form at all times, each arm being provided with an extension rotationally adjustably carried on the end of each respective arm for rotational adjustment toward and from the form and relative to each other, and means to lock the adjustment of each said extension.

13. In a shirt-folding mechanism according to claim 12, the axes of rotational adjustment of the extensions being parallel to the parallel axes of the arms.

14. Shirt-folding mechanism having operative association with a table on the top of which a shirt, in flat- 7 Wise condition with its sleeves outstretched, is adapted to be placed, said mechanism comprising a transverse hinge on the table disposed beyond the end of the table top at which the body and collar portions of the shirt are positioned, a frame carried by the hinge and arcuately movable thereon toward and from said table end, two pairs of pivots fixedly carried by the frame and extending longitudinally of the table and movable with the frame toward and from said table end, a shirt form fixedly carried by the frame and extending longitudinally in superposition over the portion of the table occupied by the shirt body and collar when the frame is in the near position to the table, said shirt form being angularly elevated above the table when the frame is in the far position Wtih respect to the table, a shirt-folding arm carried by each of the mentioned longitudinal pivots, said arms being at all times parallel to the mentioned shirt form, and'means to swing said arms on their respective pivots between spread positions on each side of the shirt form and folded positions superimposed over said form.

15. Shirt-folding mechanism according to claim 14 in which the mentioned two pairs of arm pivots are arranged in a generally straight line with one pivot of'each' pair thereof on each side of the shirt form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

